Silent Night
by SuperGirl
Summary: Willow and Oz talk. Set after "Wrecked"


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[A/N: Need an A/C break, so I picked another of my very favourite couples for a short Christmas-type story, inspired by "A Christmas Carol". 

I do not own the characters in this story, I'm borrowing them for a short period of time.]

"Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright"

Willow rolled out of bed groaning, "stupid carolers," she mumbled to herself, and went to the window to close it. As she did, something caught her eye and she moved her head out into the dark to get a closer look.

A green van had pulled up outside the Summer's house and Willow squinted, trying to see who was at the wheel. 

It can't be, she thought, but all the same

As the person started up the front walk, Willow went down the steps two at a time and stopped at the mirror. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was ruffled from sleeping. As she flattened her hair, there was a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it. For a minute, neither of them said anything. The carolers had moved on, leaving nothing but silence in their place. Finally, one of them broke the silence for the other.

"Hey," said Willow's former lover, smiling at her. 

"Oz," she replied, and the two found themselves in the others arms for the first time in almost two years. Willow breathed him in deeply, remembering the way he had held her at night and how he had smelled exactly the way he did at this exact moment.

When they finally broke apart, Willow held the door open and let Oz into the house. He walked into the living room and looked at the tree Buffy had put together when she was bored.

"What are you doing here?" Willow asked, watching him. He didn't say anything for a second, he just touched the pine needles of the tree.

"Xander told me what happened with the magic. He said they'd all tried to help you but you didn't listen, so he figured maybe you'd listen to me." Willow's eyes went to the ground.

"He told you everything?"

Oz nodded, "I always warned you to be careful with your magic," he commented. He wasn't accusing or gloating, simply stating a fact that he had pulled out of his memory.

"I know," Willow mumbled and another silence followed.

"Do you want something, a drink? We don't have much but I know we do have water, if you want some water."

"I'm good, I'm not staying too long," he said, his back still turned to her. Finally, he faced her. "I think about you a lot," he said.

"I think about you too," Willow replied, unsure of where he was going with it.

"But it's not the same, see, when I think of you, you're happy. You're the same girl I fell in love with in high school, the same girl I'm still in love with."

"I'm still that girl!" Willow insisted.

Oz shook his head, "you're not. You've disguised the old you with one that you like better. The only problem is nobody else is that fond of it."

Willow felt tears stinging her eyes, and bit her lip to keep them back. Oz approached her, placing his palm on her cheek and raising her face to his.

"You don't have to impress anyone," he said softly, "they all love you, I still love you." Willow nodded, unable to keep the tears in anymore. Oz kissed her forehead the same way he used to when he still lived in Sunnydale.

"Stay," Willow pleaded, "I need you to help me, I can't do this on my own."

"You won't have to, they're all willing to help you. I can't stay though, my time's just about up." Willow looked at him, confusing written clearly on her face. "Something I learned from my travels, the only magic I've ever done, dream walking, but it only lasts so long. I have to go." He started towards the door, but Willow's voice stopped him.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked him, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Oz smiled.

"We'll see," Willow smiled back at him and it felt like an hour passed before Oz finally left the Summer's house.

As the door closed with a soft bang, Willow's eyes shot open and she found herself staring up at the ceiling in her bedroom. It took her a minute to recall the details of her dream and when the entire scene replayed itself in her mind, she rolled over, fresh tears moving down her cheeks.

From outside came the sound of the Christmas carolers, "O holy night, the stars are brightly shining"


End file.
